Review of Dehler 34 (1983)
Basic specs.
Looking for a new boat? Find a Dehler 34 (1983) or similar boat for sale
Both the hull and the deck is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The boat is equipped with 3 cabins, 6 berths and 76.0 liter fresh water capacity.
The boat has more than one rig.
One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
The Dehler 34 (1983) has been built with different keel alternatives.
Fin keel
One option is a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.
The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.
Dehler 34 (1983) can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.70 - 1.80 meter (5.58 - 5.88 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Fin keel
Another option is a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.
The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated. As the surface of a fin type keel is just a fraction of the total wet surface, the difference between an iron keel and a lead keel can in reality be ignored for cruising yachts.
The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.70 - 1.80 meter (5.58 - 5.88 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Fin keel
Another option is a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.
This keel is also made of iron.
The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.75 - 1.85 meter (5.74 - 6.04 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Dehler 34 (1983) may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar diesel engine at 18 hp (13 kW). Calculated max speed is about 5.5 knots
The fuel tank has a capacity of 38.0 liters (10 US gallons, 8 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Dehler 34 (1983) is 2.16, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Dehler 34 (1983) is about 189 kg/cm, alternatively 1058 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 189 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1058 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Dehler 34 (1983) is 17.8 - 18.8.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Dehler 34 (1983) is 2.97.
The ballast ratio for Dehler 34 (1983) is 40%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for Dehler 34 (1983) is 190 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for Dehler 34 (1983) with ISO 8666 reference sail is 18.9, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 21.8.
What is Relative Speed Performance?
The Relative Speed Performance for Dehler 34 (1983) is 79
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 32m2 (344 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 32.0 m | (105.2 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 32.0 m | (105.2 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 32.0 m | (105.2 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.1 m | (33.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.1 m | (33.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 25.2 m | (82.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 22.2 m | (72.9 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Cunningham | 4.2 m | (13.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 8.4 m | (27.6 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 8.4 m | (27.6 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 30.8 m | (101.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 30.8 m | (101.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 30.8 m | (101.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.1 m | (33.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.1 m | (33.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 25.2 m | (82.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 22.2 m | (72.9 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Cunningham | 4.1 m | (13.4 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 8.2 m | (26.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 8.2 m | (26.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Dehler 34 (van de Stadt) it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.